


Rebuilding a Legacy

by destroy212



Category: Kingdom Hearts, Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, American Football, F/F, F/M, M/M, Sports
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-04
Updated: 2019-04-27
Packaged: 2019-10-22 05:34:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 15,638
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17656871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/destroy212/pseuds/destroy212
Summary: Tekartha Zenyatta, a renowned coaching legend, is hired on as a last ditch effort to rebuild the San Antonio Warriors; a football team whose legacy is on a downward spiral with losing season after losing season. He hosts an open tryout to scout the school's attendees for talent, and forms a makeshift team to contend for the school, and maybe a spot in the playoffs. Little does he know, that the players he recruits start to form unbreakable bonds with one another, and Zenyatta realizes he has much more than a bunch of random college athletes on his hands......





	1. Characters and Their Purpose

**Author's Note:**

> This is a fanfic crossover between Overwatch and Kingdom Hearts, one I've wanted to do for awhile, with football being involved of course! I haven't really seen a good sports fanfic, so I decided to remedy that with my own entry! I hope you all enjoy what's to come!
> 
> Notes: I'll start of with listing short backgrounds of each character, and their purpose in trying out for the organization. The next entry will be the actual start, Chapter 1! The story will hop between the perspectives of Jesse McCree, Tekartha Zenyatta, and Fareeha Amari. If you have any ideas for character's backstories or anything else, feel free to let me know!
> 
> I'll list the positions and their abbreviations here for those who are unknowing:  
> QB = Quarterback, HB = Halfback, WR = Wide Reciever, TE = Tight End, OL = Offensive Lineman, MLB = Middle Linebacker, LOLB = Left Outside Linebacker, ROLB = Right Outside Linebacker, CB = Cornerback, FS = Free Safety, SS = Strong Safety, DL = Defensive Lineman, K = Kicker, P = Punter, KR = Kick Returner, PR = Punt returner

**Character List**

 

 **Tekartha Zenyatta** **(Head Coach)** : Well known and reknowned coach of previous organizations, with a reputation for reviving teams and making them competitors again. Timid, patient, and well mannered, he resolves his team's problems through speech rather than action.

 **Ana Amari (Assistant Coach/Offensive Coordinator)** : Assistant coach of San Antonio Warriors football for many years. Wise woman who also is in charge of running the offense of the team. Mother of Fareeha Amari.

 **Brigitte Lindholm (Defensive Coordinator)** : Recently graduated student of the University of San Antonio, and fierce competitor. She has only coached for one year, but strives to make a larger impact within the team.

 **Angela Ziegler (Assistant Trainer)** : Sophomore student at the University of San Antonio. Studying medicine and medicinal sciences, and joined the Warriors organization to use her studies in the field. Assistant trainer to Moira O'Deorain.

 **Moira O'Deorain (Trainer)** : The head trainer for the San Antonio Warriors football organization. A very serious woman with a PhD in the field of medical science and biology. Takes on Angela Ziegler to assist with the caring of athletes.

 **P** **layers (Offense)** :

 **Jesse McCree (QB, #12)** : A young gentleman who comes from the country plains of Texas. Attending college for a degree in agricultural science. Played High School Football for Salado High School as a Quarterback, and attends the Warriors' open tryouts to keep up his passion for the game.

 **Roxas Day (QB, #13)** : Very smart young man who comes from a small town called Twilight Town, where he was very well known. Attending college for a degree in fine arts. Played limited High School Football at Twilight Town High School, and attends the Warriors' open tryouts as a means of keeping himself busy.

 **Genji Shimada (WR, #17)** : Quiet, shy man who transferred over from his High School in Japan to attend San Antonio University for an American education. Undecided on his major. A hideous accident as a High Schooler has left him scarred badly and with half of his body now made from cyborg machinerey. Attends the Warriors' tryouts because he was a very skilled track star in High School, and wanted to transfer it over to a football field to be more "American".

 **Sora Parker (WR, #80)** : Very cheery boy, with brown spiky hair. He is very upbeat and positive, and attending San Antonio University for a degree in graphic design. He attends the Warrior's open football tryouts because his boyfriend, Riku, is joining, and Sora wants to give it a shot with him.

 **Hanzo Shimada (WR/PR/KR, #81)** : Serious man, and the brother of Genji, also transferred over from Japan. He is attending the University for a degree in business ownership. He attends the Warrior's open tryouts to keep an eye over his younger brother, who Hanzo views as reckless and unpredictable.

 **Lena Oxton (HB, #22)** : Cheery young British woman who recently moved from London to America. Very agile, quick, and intelligent, she enjoyed participating in Track and Field events from time to time for fun back home. She is undecided on her major. She attends the Warrior's open tryouts in order to keep herself busy, and make new friends.

 **Lucio Correria Dos Santos (HB, #26)** : Popular underground DJ from Brazil, he moves to Texas and attends San Antonio University because they offer degrees in the music field. He enjoyed playing soccer and hockey and a child, but also enjoyed watching American football in his spare time. He attends the Warrior's open tryouts because they do not have soccer or hockey teams, and he wants to play some form of sport while he attends school.

 **Akande Oguindamu (TE, #86)** : Strong African American man who was raised on football by his father. With strong morals and will, Akande feels like he can make everyone a better person and a believer in everything he does. He attends the Warrior's open tryouts as a means of proving himself to his family and his peers, and to play the sport he loves.

Players (Defense):

 **Riku Gallagher (LOLB, #55)** : Quiet, very serious silver haired man. He is the boyfriend of Sora, whom he grew up with. Riku is very motivated, and is very gentle despite seeming harsh. He played some football previously with Roxas at Twilight Town University, but only for two years. He attends the Warrior's open tryouts to become stronger, and to accompany Roxas.

 **Gabriel Reyes (MLB, #54)** : Very harsh and serious Hispanic man, he was abandoned by his parents at a young age, and moved into a foster home, where he hardened himself against the world. He and Olivia know of each other from their High School in Mexico, where he played his football at. He is attending San Antonio University for a degree in weapons engineering. He attends the open tryouts for the Warriors because Olivia is as well, and so Gabriel can keep his passion for football while he attends school.

 **Terra Xehanort (ROLB, #59)** : Tall, handsome man, with dark brown spiky hair. Terra is a bodybuilder, and is very muscular as result. While big and strong, he is very kind to his peers. He played High School football for Twilight Town University, where he was the Defensive Player of the Year 3 times. He receives a full ride scholarship to San Antonio to play football, which Terra accepts. He is pursuing a degree in physical education.

 **Olivia Colomar (CB, #23)** : Short Hispanic woman with purple hair. She is very sassy, and likes to poke fun at almost everyone around her. She attended High School with Gabriel, where she was one of the most popular people in the school, and a soccer star. She is much into technical things, and hacking equipment, which she learned by herself. She attends San Antonio University for a degree in computer software engineering, and she attends the open tryouts as simply a means of meeting new people.

 **Satya Vaswani (CB, #27)** : Very serious, secluded Indian woman, who has no tolerance for any sort of goofing off or otherwise. As a former gymnast, Satya is rather athletic. She is an avid reader, and enjoys reading books about architecture, and the rules & history of sports. She is striving for a degree in architecture, which she transferred from India to the US to accomplish. She attends the Warrior's open tryouts because she intends to research the sport of American football from the inside by playing herself, as she wants to understand the sport better, and understand why it is so beloved by Americans.

 **Axel Wylder (FS, #48)** : Good natured, fun loving man, with unusual blazing red spiky hair. He was a student at Twilight Town High School, where he was well known and the class clown of the school. On top of that, he was a basketball star. He is pursuing a degree in comedic arts, and San Antonio University is the only school in the country that offers said degree. He attends the open tryouts because he wants a break from basketball, and the only other sport he finds any enjoyment in is football.

 **Amelie LaCroix (SS, #43)** : Serious, hardened French woman, who was a very accomplished young ballet dancer in Paris, before being forced to attend school in America by her parents. Her skin is tinted blue, due to Amelie having a rare condition of a very slow heartbeat, and the pigment of her skin is turned blue as result. She decides to pursue a degree in dance and dance studies. She decides to attend the Warrior's open tryouts to keep herself in physically fit form, since there is no dance team for the school.

 **Players (Other)** :

 **Reinhardt Wilhelm (OL/DL, #61)** : Bulky, strong man originally from Germany, and played his football for a small team in a European rec league. He seeks glory and honor for everything he does, and attends San Antonio University after moving to Texas from Germany. Like Terra, he pursues a degree in physical education. He attends the Warrior's open tryouts in order to restore glory to the football program (in his eyes), and earn himself honor in the process.

 **Mako Rutledge (OL/DL, #68)** : Tall, overweight man, originally from Australia. He is very scrappy and impolite. He played a lot of lacrosse there, but most of the time it was just pickup games with other people in his neighborhood. He attends a school in America at the urging of his parents to do something with his life, but Mako is still undecided on his major. He attends the Warrior's open tryouts to play a rough contact sport to occupy his spare time.

 **Fareeha Amari (K/P, #7)** : Slender, tanned woman, who moved from the Middle East with her mother, Ana, very early in her life. She is an avid sports player, and is extremely athletic. Though serious and commanding in nature, she has a kind heart, and cares deeply for her friends. She is attending San Antonio University for a degree in physical education, like Terra and Reinhardt, and she attends the open tryouts at the urging of her mother.

 **Aleksandra Zaryanova (OL, #76)** : Strong woman from Russia, formerly a renowned weightlifter. She is in America to pass upon her knowledge and ways of strength to the American people. She is very serious in manner, and is very self-reserved. She attends the Warrior's open tryouts to use her strength in an American way by playing football. She is undecided on her major.


	2. The Offer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zenyatta arrives at the University of San Antonio to speak with Director Morrison about becoming the head coach of a desperate San Antonio Warriors football team. Little does Zen know, that the job isn't all that it appears to be.

The Offer

Tekartha Zenyatta knew what he was getting himself into as he floated into the Director of Sports office for the San Antonio Warriors: a team that had just finished an abysmal 2-14 season, and had fired the coach that had only gone 10-38 in three seasons with the team. Zenyatta knew that this team was at its length's end, and was desperate for anything that may return it to its former glory. Zenyatta himself was no stranger to the sport of football, and knew why Director Morrison had reached out to him. Zenyatta had rebuilt two collegiate teams, one in Oregon, the other in Alabama, to be title competitors again, and he was widely praised as the "Saviour of Football" for his efforts; he had even gained nationwide prestige for his coaching and ability to rebuild teams. This was vastly different. He knew the school's previous reputation, not to mention college was different from the "pros". This meant less experienced players, larger pools to pick talent out of, and more rebellious players. Zenyatta, however, was never one to back down from a challenge, especially for the game he loved, so when Director Morrison reached out to him three days prior regarding a head coaching position, Zenyatta immediately accepted and arranged a face-to-face meeting.

As Zenyatta floated into the room, he noticed the various sports memorabilia that hung on the walls and was scattered across the various tables in the compact office. There was everything from signed baseballs, to posters of the most memorable teams in the school's long history. Out of all of this, his gaze focused on the poster that was front and center behind the desk in the back of the room. It was an older looking picture of a football team, clearly taken long ago, and the bottom of the poster read: **San Antonio Warriors Football, National Champions, 1983**. _"Right,"_ Zenyatta thought. _"Mr. Morrison told me that 1983 was the last time they were national champions."_ The year was now 2020. It had been over 30 years since this organization had replicated success at the greatest level. Zenyatta was determined to make that happen again. As he approached the desk, he observed the two figures that were seated behind it. There was an older man sitting in the seat to Zen's left, with greyish-white receding hair and a scar running between his eyes from the bottom of his forehead to his left cheek. He was well built and rather muscular, wearing a sports jacket with the Warrior's logo of two swords crossing a shield, and Zenyatta presumed that it was Director Morrison. On his right was a smaller, tanned woman, with an eyepatch and long white hair that she had braided and slung over her shoulder. She greeted Zenyatta's approach with a warm smile, her good hazel eye very deep with both happiness and what seemed to Zen like gratitude.

Zen paused in front of the desk, and rested his gaze on Director Morrison. "I believe we spoke on the phone, Mr. Morrison?"

  
The man with the grey hair nodded. "Allow me for a proper introduction, Tekartha. I am Jack Morrison, Director of Sports here at San Antonio University." He extended his hand in greeting.

  
"Please, call me Zenyatta," he replied, as he took Mr. Morrison's hand and shook.

  
Mr. Morrison nodded, and motioned to the woman to his left. "I'd like to introduce you to Ana Amari. She is our wonderful offensive coordinator, and assistant coach."  
The old woman's smile widened as she too extended her hand in greeting. "It truly is my pleasure, Zenyatta."

  
Jack sat back in his chair and looked him up and down. "Now that we have proper greetings out of the way, we can talk business. I would say have a seat, but, it appears you don't need one."

Zenyatta looked down at himself and chuckled, reminding himself that not everyone knew that he could, in fact, float. "Of course, Mr. Morrison. I believe you wanted to talk about offering me a contract? To be the head coach, yes?"

He nodded. "Of course. Well, I specifically am not offering you the contract, the school is. But I, of course, will be your adviser, and Ana will be your assistant coach on the field to help you as well." He pushed a piece of paper forward on the desk, and produced a pen from the pocket of his sports jacket. "1 year. 10 million dollars guaranteed, with a 1.4 million dollar signing bonus. I'm sure you've had other offers, but we hope ours exceeds theirs."

Zenyatta took the pen from Mr. Morrison's hand, and instantly inked his name on the line at the bottom of the contract that he had pushed forward. "Done and done," Zen said. "It is my specialty to help teams recover from difficult times."

Jack nodded, and his eyes narrowed at the omnic. "Your reputation certainly precedes you, Zenyatta. We expect much from you." The gaze that Mr. Morrison was giving him made him shift uncomfortably.

Ana must have detected the discomfort that Zen was feeling, because she rose from her seat and strode around the desk to his side. "You wouldn't mind if I gave Zenyatta the grand tour, would you? We can discuss more details a bit later, and I am sure he's eager to see the facility and his personal office."

"Sure, go right ahead, I'll be right here," Jack said in his gruff tone, never taking his eyes off the omnic.

She nodded, and put her arm around Zen's shoulder. "Right this way then, Zenyatta."

Zen felt Jack's eyes burning into him as he and Ana exited the office, and wondered what sort of insane expectations that the school and Jack had for him. From the way he had sounded, Zen just hoped he wouldn't be too scared to ask.

* * * * *

Zenyatta breathed a sigh of relief when he exited Director Morrison's office and the door was shut behind him. Ana motioned left down the long hallway. "This way. We'd best not take too long. Jack tends to get very impatient."

The two walked down the hallway in silence for a few beats, until Zen broke the silence by asking Ana a question that had been gnawing at him since they had exited the office. "So, um.... Mrs. Amari, do you think Jack expects too much from me? Between you and me, of course." From the short time he had been with Ana, he felt like he should trust her with such a question, especially since she would be the one working closest to him on the football field.

Ana laughed at the question. "Oh, don't worry about Jack," she mused. "He likes to think every new coach we get will be the savior he's been looking for." She eyed Zen from the corner of her good eye. "Of course, that doesn't mean you won't be the one."

Zenyatta pondered about the information Ana had given him as they continued down the hall. "So, I would take it alot is expected from that answer then?"

Ana slowly nodded. "Well, yes. Jack wasn't lying when he said your reputation precedes you. The school has noticed as well. With your previous experiences, they fully expect you to turn the team around." She abruptly stopped walking, and looked down at her feet. "We at least hope," she sadly finished.

Zenyatta stopped with Ana, and for a second, he could genuinely feel her pain. _"She's probably been with plenty of different coaches, had this same exact conversation before."_ He placed a hand on her shoulder. "I promise you Ana, I will do my best. I hate to see organizations suffer, because I know the people involved with it suffer as well. This one, from what I've seen of just you and Mr. Morrison, I know is no exception."

She rested her hand on his, and looked him right in his eyes, with a weak smile. "I know."

She pulled her hand away from his, and Zenyatta took his hand away from her shoulder, and they continued on. After a short distance, Ana broke the silence again.

"I know we shouldn't place our expectations as high as they are, and I apologize. But every failed coach we have, every bad season, I can't help but feel like they're reaching the end of their ropes with both me AND Jack. They're sick of all the repeated failure for years. But I can't afford to lose this job, I just can't." Ana's voice cracked a bit as she finished.

Zenyatta felt every word she was saying, her words piercing him like thorns. Zen was no stranger to desperate coaches, fearful of losing not just their job, but their passion. It was the hardest part of his job. He knew if he failed, other's jobs and livelihoods hung in the balance. It was a difficult demon to wrestle with, but he had always accepted the challenge, and fought with those people in mind. It was part of what made Zenyatta such a coaching success. The heartbreak flowing from Ana's voice was very genuine, and Zen knew she was on the verge of losing everything.

He felt his voice sprouting up from his robotic heart before he could even process it. "I know your pain Ana. I have felt it before. I will stand by your side, and we WILL turn this around."

She looked at Zen again, with tears starting to form in her eye, and a small smile. "You sound just like Jack when he was first hired with me." She straightened up, and a small gleam lit up her eye. "I don't know if you knew that, but we were hired long ago to help this organization, and we did. We experienced years of success, playoff berths, awards, it was everything we and the organization could have hoped for." The glow faded from her eyes, and darkness clouded her gaze. "Of course, as of recent, things haven't been so good. Shortly after they promoted Jack to be the Director, I was offered to be promoted to head coach, but I declined. Ever since then, we've been in a slump." A look of confidence spread across her face as she looked at Zen again. "But looking at you, hearing the words you speak. I have the utmost faith you're the missing piece we've needed for all these years."

* * * * *

Very shortly after their chat, Ana stopped in front of one of the doors at the end of the long hallway. "Ah, it appears we have arrived at our first stop."

Zenyatta looked up at the two nameplates that were placed proudly on the door. They read: **Doctor Moira O'Deorain, PhD, MD- Head Trainer** , and **Angela Ziegler- Assistant Trainer**. Ana gave three hard knocks on the hardwood. "Angela? Doctor O'Deorain? It's Coach Amari." After a short pause, a cheerful "Come in!" could be heard from the other side of the door. Ana opened the door, and motioned for Zenyatta to enter.

Upon entering the room, Zenyatta was surprised by how clean and tidy things were. The room was painted with the Warrior's colors; black for the top half of the room, white for the bottom half, with a thin purple line in the middle that prevented the two colors from meeting. At the back of the room, there was a another door with a sign that was too far away for Zen to read. A few medical tables where injured athletes would lay sat in the middle of the room, and surrounding the edges of the room were various counters and sinks that had various medical trays, holding meticulously placed syringes and scalpels.

Standing beside one of the counters was a slender young woman in a lab coat, with platinum blonde hair tied back in a ponytail, that appeared to be washing her hands at one of the sinks. She turned her head and smiled warmly as the duo entered the room. "Well hello Ana! A pleasure to see you!" Her accent was thick, European for sure, Zen could tell that much. But what country?

Ana acknowleged the woman's warm greeting. "As always, Angela." Angela nodded, before turning her attention towards Zen and cocking her head to the side. "And who might this be?"

"Oh, this is our new coach. Zenyatta, meet Angela. Angela, meet Zenyatta. She's the Head trainer's assistant."

She strode over towards Zen, and as she approached, he could make out more of her features. She truly was a gorgeous woman, rather tall, with sparkling blue eyes, nearly impeccable pale skin, and a very curvy frame. She hugged Ana in greeting, before turning to Zen with an outstretched hand. "I most certaintly am pleased to meet you! Jack has spoken very fondly of you!"

Zen chuckled and shook her hand. "So I've been told. I presume that he's spoken to all of you about me then."

She nodded. "He hasn't stopped talking about you the past few days, as a matter of fact! Ever since he called you."

 _"I wonder what he's told them,"_ Zen privately wondered to himself. He found himself curious about Angela though, as to why she was one of the training staff. She seemed rather young to him.

"How about you tell me a little about yourself, Ms. Ziegler? You seem... young, for being a trainer."

She giggled, and her face tinted red slightly. Clearly not the first time someone had made that observation, Zen noted. "I'll take that as a compliment! I'm actually a student here at the University. I volunteered to be an assistant trainer since there was a vacancy, and it gives me real life practice on my studies."

Ana, who had been mostly quiet, observing their conversation from what Zen noticed, chimed in when Angela finished.

"She's from Switzerland, if you were wondering about her accent."

 _"Ah, Switzerland, that makes sense."_ Zen nodded in acknowledgement. "I guessed somewhere in Europe, though I wasn't sure where."

She clasped her hands together, the grin never fading from her face. "Yes! I observed my mother as a child doing work in the nursing field. It inspired me to pursue my career in medical science, so I came here. Perhaps not the biggest school, but it's cheap, and there are plenty of friendly people here."

She seemed so bubbly, nice, and....what was the word? Radiant. Angela simply exhuted energy. Zen could tell that it would be a pleasure to work with her as well. Well, hopefully not too often, as that would mean that one of his players was injured.

The air hung in still silence for a moment, before Angela gasped and covered her mouth. "Oh! I forgot to introduce you to Dr. O'Deorain! She'll probably want to meet you." The blonde haired woman quickly turned and strode towards the other door in the back of the room, with the duo of Ana and Zen in tow shortly behind her. As they approached the door, Zen could make out the wording on the door that he couldn't read earlier. It read: **X-Ray & MRI Room -Warning- Do not enter without proper equipment**.

Angela gave two curt knocks on the door. "Dr. O'Deorain? You have guests!" A few moments later, the door swung open, and Zen was greeted by a tall, commanding presence. The person in question was a rather tall woman, dressed in a lab coat similar to Angela's, with wavy, short red hair, a sharp upturned nose, complete with a mouth twisted into a sneer. He noticed one of her eyes was blue, the other brown, and the blue eye was covered with a small silverish plate. She turned towards Angela, and snapped at her. "Ms. Ziegler, how dare you disturb me?! Have you quite finished inventory of our tools yet?"

Angela shook her head. "I was accommodating Ana and our new coach. Ana said she was going to give him a walk around when he arrived, remember?"

Dr. O'Deorain pondered this for a moment. "I suppose she did." She narrowed her eyes at Angela. "Though that is no excuse for you to not finish your duties. Back to it!"

Angela quickly nodded and turned to walk back towards the counter she had previously left when Zen arrived. She hadn't seemed too bothered by Dr. O'Deorain's behavior, so he assumed that interactions like that between the two were quite common.

The Doctor turned her attention to Zen. She appeared to study him for a moment, looking him up and down, before she opened her mouth to speak. "So, you are the new coach Jack and Ana have told me about. My name is Moira. Moira O'Deorain. Though you shall refer to me as Dr. O'Deorain."

Zen felt uneasy just being in the presence of this woman. So serious, and the aura around just made him feel out of place. He extended his hand, like he had done many times before that day, and offered his voice up. "And my name is Tekartha Zenyatta, though you may call me Zenyatta, or Zen."

Dr. O'Deorain carefully studied his hand, but offered no handshake in return. Instead, she looked him back in the eyes and cautiously said, "I will most certaintly look forward to seeing your progress, Zenyatta."

He quickly retracted his hand and nodded. She still appeared to be studying him, and it was making him feel very uncomfortable. It was almost as if she were searching for something. Ana hadn't said a word either, and Zen was wondering if she felt as uncomfortable around the Doctor as he felt right in that moment.

After several beats, Dr. O'Deorain raised her voice again, speaking in a nice, level tone. "So, you are a floating omnic. I must admit, this piques my interest. I must certainly know how your technology fucntions. Perhaps you can come back to visit another time."

Zen laughed nervously. "Um, well, existence is mysterious isn't it? Now, if you'll excuse us, I believe there are other staff members to meet." He simply wanted to leave Moira's presence. Everything about her, her voice, attitude, demeanor- he wanted to leave as soon as possible.

It appeared that Ana felt the same, because Zen soon heard her pipe up from his side, rather quickly and curtly. "Yes, I do believe we should be going. Have a good day, Doctor."

Dr. O'Deorain simply nodded. "Off you go then."

Zen and Ana made their way back towards where they had came from, rather awkwardly, knowing that Moira's gaze was still boring into his back, much like Director Morrison. _"Why must they treat me like this? I don't want to have to meet some ludicrous expectation they lay down just to please them."_

As Ana opened the door for them to leave, he heard Angela's cheery voice again. "It was nice to meet you Zenyatta! I hope you like it here!" He turned towards the cheery, pale face that had spoken the words, and she offered that smile again. That beautiful smile that could light up any dark room. _"Well, at least there's a couple people I don't mind."_ He nodded. "I certainly hope so too."

* * * * *

The rest of the tour was a blur of new faces, the same introductions in and out, and by the time they reached Zenyatta's personal office, he already felt tired out. There had been plenty of people, but the encounters that had stood out were definitely his interactions with Angela and Dr. O'Deorain, and another bubbly personality he had met, the defensive coordinator named Brigitte Lindholm. She had offered the same welcoming hospitality as Angela, and was rather young and inexperienced as well, having only been with the team for a year now. Every other face Zen had met seemed the same, with them simply offering handshakes and awkward glances, that left Zen wondering what in the world they thought of him.

"Well, here we are! Your personal office." Ana stated. "A tad bit empty now, but feel free to add your own personal touches!"

Zen opened the door himself, went inside, and flicked the light on. The room itself was nothing special, a place about as big as Director Morrison's office, with the same black, white, and purple pattern on the walls that adorned every other room in the facility. The air hung heavy with a musty smell, as if the place hadn't been used in quite a bit of time. There was a desk in the center, with a nice black chair behind it, though Zen would probably remove that, he had no need. Besides that, there were only a couple tables surrounding the room, and a plaque with the Warrior's logo standing proudly on the wall behind the desk.

He ran his hand across the desk, lifting the thin layer of dust that had coated it. "So, I take it the previous coach has been gone for some time?"

Zen felt Ana's presence approach behind him. "Yes." She said in a rather somber tone. "About three months now."

Zen was rather curious. Three months? Then why did the organization JUST reach out to him a few days ago?

"I infer that I can't have been the only coach that has been asked about a position here, then?" He turned towards Ana, who seemed to be taking in the room around her, as if she herself hadn't seen it in some time.

"You'd be correct," she mumbled, as she seemed to be lost deep in thought.

"Many memories of this place, I take it?"

That seemed to shake Ana out of her daze. She rested her somber gaze on Zen and nodded. "Yes. Many coaches have been here. Very likable people." Her gaze shifted downwards. "People I most certainly miss."

Zen understood. He looked back at the desk, at the empty nameplate where his name would soon be put. _"Why, am I here? Of all the places to be, why did my soul lead me here?"_ he thought. He had received offers from other schools. Plenty of offers, definitely worth more money over the long term. Yet Zen had chosen here. As if it had called to him. Like he could sense the desperation. The mostly somber or monotone moods from everyone but the new staff members, Angela and Brigitte, confirmed this. How could he fully expect to please all these people?

He turned towards Ana, still looking very gloomy. "Should we go and see Director Morrison now? He's probably been waiting long enough." She looked up, and nodded briefly at him, before heading towards the door. She was about to reach for the handle when the door swung open abruptly. There stood Director Morrison, and Ana was taken aback.

"Oh, Jack! We were just about to-"

Jack motioned with his hand, cutting her off. "Nah, it's fine. Figured I'd come find you. You know me, can't sit still for long."

This got a small laugh out of all of them. Jack walked to the center of the room, and took a deep breath, looking all around him. "Man, I remember when this office was mine. Those were the days. As you can imagine, it was a bit less dusty."

After Jack finished his brief reminiscing period, he walked himself to the chair behind the desk, dusted it off quickly, and sat down.

"Anyways, on to what I wanted to talk to you about Zenyatta."

"Of course!" Zen quickly answered, turning himself towards Director Morrison and positioning himself in front of the desk. Ana swiftly followed, taking a standing place beside the desk.

There was still the question buzzing around in Zen's head, like a swarm of angry bees. He found the words tumbling out of his omnic mouth as he thought about them.

"So, Director Morrison, why did you JUST decide to reach out to me? I've been available for a new position since the end of last season, so why now?"

He sighed briefly, and looked down at his feet. "Well, we were initially looking at you as sort of a 'last ditch' thing you know? The Dean of the school figured hiring you off the spot would make us look desperate. So we tried other coaches, and none of them seemed to be what we were looking for. And then the Dean ordered me to reach out to you after a few months of looking." He turned his gaze upwards again, first towards Ana, then back at Zen. "And that pretty much leads us up to where we are now."

Zen thought about this information for a second. "Well, I'm sure you would much rather admit defeat and reach out to me as a desperate attempt, then try and play it like nothing is wrong." He motioned towards Ana. "I've seen how your staff is. I'm almost positive everyone here would rather seem desperate, over the potential alternatives."

Ana slowly nodded and looked towards Jack, as if to confirm what Zen was saying was true.

Jack sighed. "Trust me, I'm fully aware. But the decision wasn't mine to make. The Dean makes those decisions."

 _"Whoever this Dean is,"_ Zen thought, _"they most certainly aren't aware of how much their decisions have affected these people's lives."_

There were more awkward beats of silence, before Jack scratched his chin, and spoke again. "Now then, on to what I was going to say. As I'm sure you've inferred, team interest is at an all time low. So much so that we can't scrape together a team for the first time, well, ever. We've had a grand total of three people express interest."

"No doubt the hardcore football lovers," Zen chimed in. "The ones who just love the sport they play, regardless of win/loss records and stats."

Jack cleared his throat and nodded. "You'd be correct. Other people that have attended this University for a long while know the school's reputation, and would rather not be a part of a team then be on a losing one. And no High School recruits we reached out to were interested, save for one named Terra Xehanort." Jack leaned back further in the chair, and the chair squeaked slightly as he did so. "Which brings me to the question I was going to ask. Do you have any ideas on how we can potentially raise team interest? Just enough to get 11 offensive players, 11 defensive. That's the minimum requirement."

Zenyatta thought carefully about this. Then, something struck him. _"If the new staff, Angela and Brigitte, aren't worried about the school's reputation, then what about the incoming freshman at the University? Most won't have any idea about the school's reputation, or they'll hardly care, since they'd never been part of the downfall of the school."_ Zen nodded to himself. "I think I have an idea, Mr. Morrison."

Ana smiled, and Jack leaned in on the desk, with another squeak as the chair shifted position again. "I'm all ears."

Zen told them his idea that new players would be less likely to care about the school's reputation, and they may be interested in being a part of the team.

"So," Zenyatta proposed. "I say we hold an open tryout. For all the attendees of the school. We hold the tryout, pick the players we feel like best fit at certain positions. That will certaintly give us the player count we need. It may be mostly freshman, but I feel like this is our best shot."

Jack sat back and scratched his chin. Ana appeared to be in thought as well. Eventually, Ana broke the silence. "Well, it most certainly could work. I don't see why not."

"I like it too," Jack mused, as he rose from his chair. "Than an open tryout it is. I'll get to work making some flyers to put around the campus." Jack strode towards the door, but before leaving, he turned back towards Zen. "Oh, Zenyatta, there is a small apartment on campus the previous coach owned. It's yours if you'd like. Ana can give you the directions and address. Consider it a perk of the job."

As Jack left, Ana breathed out a worried sigh. "Are you sure this is going to work Zenyatta?"

Zenyatta slowly turned to her, and spoke with clarity," For the sake of the school, and our jobs, I most certaintly hope so."

* * * *

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took awhile for this, and sorry for alot of character dialogue, need to set things up. actual relationship stuff (or talk of them) starts next chapter. Next chapter will start from McCree's PoV, but will feature all 3 PoVs in the chapter. I hope you enjoyed the official start of this work! Leave your feedback below, it's appreciated, as this is my first real work :)  
> Note: Any dialogue that is typed in italics is the thoughts of whoever the character is that the PoV is currently focusing on


	3. Work to Do

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When new challenges arrive, how will people seize opportunity?

_McCree_

  
_Damn, I should probably shave or something._ McCree sat in the bathroom, staring at the mirror, scrutinizing his appearance. Not that he cared what anyone else thought about his looks, but he certainly wanted himself to FEEL in tip top shape for his tour of his new college campus. A fresh start, as he viewed it; a new chapter in his life that would give him new oppurtunities.

As McCree crooned over his appearance, he heard three knocks on the bathroom door, followed by his mother's voice. "Jesse? Jesse! You've been in there for an hour! Are you almost finished? I REALLY need to do my makeup, my date is in a half hour!"

"Yeah Ma, one more sec!" McCree took one last look at himself, not fully satisfied, but whatever. _Guess it ain't that important._ He opened the bathroom door, and his mother was waiting just oustide, wearing a rather expensive looking, tight black dress. McCree spread his arms, and presented himself. "How I look Ma?"

His mother stepped up to McCree, and adjusted the collar of his flannel shirt, before stepping back and looking again. "Like a very handsome young man." McCree nodded. The only approval he ever sought was from his mother. As long as she was happy, so was he.

"Aight then Ma. I'm gonna start the car. You're still seeing me off yea?"

Her eyes gleamed. "Of course! I'll just be getting started on putting my stuff on. Just holler when you're about to leave."

McCree nodded, and walked out towards the kitchen, where he had his keys. He scooped them off the kitchen table, and grabbed his well worn, brown rancher hat off the hat rack near the front door, which was only a few feet away from the kitchen. He stepped outside his small, one story ranch house, and breathed in the scents of the late summer day. It was warm outside, but it wasn't too bad for what he was wearing. He had chosen a plain flannel shirt, with a pair of sturdy jeans to boot. It was his normal Sunday attire that he would normally wear for church. Nothing fancy, but he thought it suited the occasion.

He walked himself to the gravel driveway, and started to his mud-stained red Jeep, well worn from the couple years McCree had used it. He had already bought it used from his first job bagging groceries at the local supermarket, but it had served him well over the times he had used it to drive to school, out in the fields surrounding his family's small farm, or to take out his ex-girlfriend, Ashe, on numerous dates.

 _Ashe......Damn, wonder how she's been,_ McCree thought to himself, as he walked back towards his house to say goodbye to his mom. Last he had seen Ashe, she was in tears, as she had told McCree that she didn't want to pursue a long distance relationship, so she was breaking off their relationship. She was a year older than McCree, and had received a scholarship to attend the University of Dallas while he was still a junior in High School. It was a considerable drive away, enough that she wouldn't be able to see him very often at all, so she decided she would rather break off what they had instead of struggle to keep it. It still bugged McCree. He understood why she had, but McCree knew that there was still something left between them. He hadn't bothered to contact her since, it just didn't feel right. Maybe someday, they would reunite. At least, McCree hoped.

He re-entered his kitchen, and yelled, "Hey Mom! Leaving here in a minute!" He heard a muffled "Ok!" from deeper in the house, so McCree scooped up his backpack, in case he got important paperwork from the school, and exited his home and into the sunshine again. He leaned against his Jeep for a minute, taking in his surroundings; the few tall trees in the front lawn, with the leaves already starting to take on a light shade of yellow. The small white house that he had grown up in, surrounded by cornfields on all sides, though his family had sold the land since his father lost his life in a farming accident when McCree was just a young teen. It was 6 years since that incident, but the memory still made him wince. As he was dwelling within his mind, the front door opened, and his mother stepped outside.

She walked over to him, and looked up at him with a weak smile. She took off his hat and ruffled his thick brown hair. "If only your father could see you now. He'd be so proud of his big, strong young man." McCree readjusted his hat when his mother replaced it atop his head, and gave a weak smile of his own. "I know he would Ma." He knew his mother was still hurt, even years later, by the loss of his father. It had hit the whole family hard, but his mother still wasn't over losing the love of her life, years later. He embraced his mother, and then stepped into his Jeep, and rolled down the windows. She came up to the driver's side door right before McCree went to back down the driveway.

"You have a good day you hear Jesse? I want to hear all about it when you get home." He grinned wickedly back at her. "I'll probably be home before you Ma. Hope your date goes nice."

His mother shrugged. "I certainly hope so. And who knows? Maybe you'll find a nice girl at school too!" McCree frowned. "Ma, you know me and Ashe-"

"I know, I know, you may still get back with her," she said, abruptly cutting him off. "But, it never hurts to look elsewhere, ya know. Maybe you'll meet the girl of your dreams."

He snorted. "Doubtful, but I suppose I'll keep an open eye. For you mom." His mother nodded, with a twinkle in her eye. "Good. Now I'll see you later Jesse. Love you!"

"Love you too Ma." He then backed himself out of the driveway, and into the street. He idled in the empty road, taking one last look at his mother waving, and the place he called home, the one that held so many cherished memories for him, before throwing his Jeep in drive, and taking off down the highway, towards the start of a new chapter in his life.

* * * * *

The University of San Antonio was only a 15 minute drive from McCree's house. Oddly enough, it was actually a shorter commute to get to there than it was to drive to his High School. That was one of the reasons he had applied for this University; not only did it have good degrees in the field he was entering, but it was also close to home, so McCree could still live at home while attending school.

The school itself was already very busy already by the time McCree pulled into the general parking lot. Today was orientation for most of the freshman students to their classes, he knew that much, but he wasn't looking to socialize too much. Just get into a tour group, maybe check out the clubs afterwards, and leave. _Shouldn't take more than a couple hours, three hours max,_ McCree thought.

It took a few minutes to find a parking spot, since there were so many people, but he eventually found one that wasn't too far from the entrance to the university grounds itself. He stepped out of his car, locked it, and began walking towards where the large influx of students were headed, which is where he presumed the tours were starting. The day was already very hot, and already he was starting to regret his clothing choice. Most people had on shorts, or some from of them, and t-shirts, treating it like a very casual event.

Upon entering the large, iron gates, that read: **San Antonio University** , he noticed that there were a few large groups already formed, with students chatting amongst themselves. McCree lumped himself in with the larger group on the left side of the entrance, and observed the members of the fairly large mass of people. There weren't too many people that overtly stuck out to him, besides one smaller girl with a head of purple hair that was standing a little ways to his left. _Purple hair? That's an odd choice._ Her skin was dark, but not terribly so, and she was engrossed in her phone, from what he could make out. She wore a purple t-shirt that matched her hair, and tight fitting jeans. At least he wasn't the only one.

While he was trying to observe her, a louder voice spoke from the front of the group. "Listen up people!" McCree turned his attention away from the girl and turned towards the speaker. There was man with a short crew cut standing at the front, with a megaphone in his hand. "We're gonna be splitting the groups up a little bit farther, to make this a little easier for our guides! So they're gonna come to you, and make smaller groups of about 15 people each! We easily have 100 people here alone, so listen and watch for them to call you! That is all!" The man stepped back, and motioned for the tour guides to come forward. Since McCree was in the back of the mass of people, it took a guide sometime to call him over, with a "You, in the cowboy hat, brown hair, you're with me."

McCree stepped closer to the tour guide, and the small group of people she had with her. The girl with purple hair was in his group as well. She shot him a sideways glance, before returning her attention to her phone. _She's probably one of them popular girls, they way she has her nose dug in that phone,_ he thought to himself. The tour guide grabbed a couple more people, before she cleared her throat and spoke again. "Alright everyone! Listen up, so I won't have to repeat myself." She motioned to her right, towards a cluster of buildings not too far away from where they stood. "We're gonna start with the West Wing of the school, and then move towards the North Wing, than the East Wing, where the dorms are. I hope you all brought your walking shoes, because we'll be on our feet for quite a bit!" She motioned for them to follow her, and she started walking towards the West Wing, with the small group in tow. McCree stared up into the sky. _Jeez, I hope this don't bore me to death, if the heat don't kill me first._

* * * * *

_Fareeha_

Fareeha was a bit anxious. She tapped her fingers on her knee, as she watched the cornfields zip by outside the passenger side window of her mother's sports sedan. Going to a new school was something she always worried about, ever since she had moved with her mom to the United States from the Middle East as a little girl. She always found it a struggle to fit in and make new friends, and she knew college would be the same. It wasn't that Fareeha was a bad person, or didn't possess good looks; she was just incredibly shy, especially around strangers.

"Fareeha, are you really considering joining the football team?" Her mother's voice brought her back to reality. and she glanced over at her mother.

"Mom, I already said I'd consider it, but no promises," Fareeha said in a rather annoyed tone. Her mom had been bugging her about it nonstop, ever since she had said they had hired a new coach at the school about a week ago. As interesting as joining a football team sounded, Fareeha was always more of a basketball and soccer girl. She just couldn't see herself playing a rough, physical sport.

Her mother shot a glance back at her, with smile. "You've been saying that since I first asked you."

 _Ugh, why can't she just leave me alone about it?_ "And you haven't STOPPED asking," Fareeha shot back. It came out with a little more force than she had meant.

Her mother looked a little bit hurt, and she turned her eyes back towards the road. "I simply think it would be a nice thing we could do together. Plus, you're a VERY athletic girl Fareeha. You can pick any position you would want. You'd do well!" Her mother almost sounded like she was pleading with her.

Fareeha knew that her mom was the Assistant coach for the team. She also knew that the team was desperate for players. Despite all this, she knew the team had been absolutely HORRENDOUS the past few years. Fareeha wasn't necessarily sure if she wanted to be a part of that.

The cornfields that had been whizzing by were replaced with more suburban looking homes and buildings as they came nearer and nearer to the school. Fareeha sighed. "Look Mom, I know that you really want me to. But, I'm worried as it is about college IN GENERAL. Do I really want to add more to my plate when I'm freaking out as is?"

Her mother placed a hand on Fareeha's knee. "I know habiti. I am not saying you have to. But...... I know you're an incredibly gifted young woman. And I want to see you live your life to the fullest." Her mom's clutch tightened around her knee. "Just, please. Keep it in your mind as you go through today, ok?"

* * * * *

It wasn't too much longer before her mother was pulling into the parking lot around the back side of the school, towards the back entrance of the sports facility. Ana parked the car, and knit her eyebrows. "Are you sure you want to walk all the way there habiti? I could have just dropped you off at the front entrance." Fareeha was already stepping out of the car as her mother spoke.

"I'm fine Mom. I just want to take a walk. Ease my mind maybe." _And avoid as much human contact as possible,_ she added silently to herself. Her mother stepped out of the car, slammed her door shut, and frowned at her. "Ok. Well, I'll be out in the commons area whenever your tour is done. I would appreciate if you at least stopped by and said hello."

Fareeha was already starting to walk away from the car, towards the sidewalk that led towards the front. "I will Mom, don't worry." Her mother nodded, and yelled, "Love you habiti!" as she walked inside the sports facility. Fareeha just continued walking along the sidewalk, towards the entrance where the tours were. Not that she needed to be there; she had visited the campus with her mother hundreds of times, yet she still insisted on Fareeha going. She loved her mother, but she had always pushed Fareeha hard in life, yet sometimes it felt like she was pushing too hard. _I wish she was more understanding of me._

Fareeha continued to walk towards the front gate, the buzzing sound of conversation growing closer and closer. It sucked hard that she was naturally shy, she knew that. Fareeha had never had a boyfriend, never really had many friends outside of one or two people, and even those she barely talked to. She preferred her nice secluded world within her mind to the twisted, sick thing that was the real world.

She was lost in her own thoughts, but was jolted back to reality when she slammed into someone's back. Hard. She was taken aback, stumbled and fell. The person who she slammed into had barely flinched, and he whipped around. Her eyes locked with his as she was on the ground. He was a taller dude, with brown hair that spiked at the back, blue eyes, and what looked like parachute pants. He was insanely buff, and on top of all that he was handsome. Like, REALLY handsome. He was with a couple of people Fareeha assumed were his friends; one a girl around her age with blue hair, the other, a younger boy with blonde, spiky hair. _Shit, just my luck._

"I am, SO, sorry." she stated from the ground. She was aware that her tanned face was growing ever redder the longer she sat there. The man simply smiled at her, and laughed. "Hey, it's all good!" he said. "You were probably distracted, I get it." He turned towards his friends. "Aqua, Ven, I'll text you guys later. I'd better get going."

The two nodded. "Alright then. Good luck, Terra!" the girl with the blue hair said. _So his name's Terra,_  Fareeha observed from the ground. Terra's friends began walking away, and he turned his attention back towards her. _God, why does he have to look so damn GOOD?_

He extended his hand towards her. "Here, lemme help you up." She immediately got up, and dusted off her knee-high leggings. "No thanks, I'm fine," she said quietly. _Just avoid eye contact Fareeha, you'll be fine._ Terra retracted his hand, sounding a little hurt. "Alright then."

She resumed walking towards the front entrance, breezing by Terra. _Please don't let him talk to me again, please don't let him talk to me again._ She was a few steps past him when she heard him pipe up again, rather jokingly. "Hey, do I not even get the name of the girl that just used my back as her personal springboard?" _FUCK._ She turned around and looked at him again. "Ummmmm, Fareeha. But just call me Pharah, works alot better." She whipped around , trying her best to escape the situation. She was aware her tanned face was still about as red as a tomato, but she just wanted to be over and done with the situation as soon as possible.

That wasn't part of his plan apparently, because she heard the shuffling of feet behind her, until he was walking by her side. _Why the hell is he so persistent? I JUST ran into him. Literally, but....._ "Look, I'm really busy, we can talk later ok?" she offered up a smile to Terra.

He smirked. "Busy? You're just walking. From my observation, it looks like you're headed to the tours. I was headed that way too. Can't be too busy." _Ok.....so he didn't buy THAT at all._ As she sat there motionless for a second, she wondered to herself, what the hell was she to lose by talking to him, or letting him tag along? Sure she was shy, but having someone to talk to surely wasn't BAD. Maybe her mother would get her wish, and Fareeha would make a new friend after all. Eventually, she sighed. "Alright, fine. Yeah, I was headed up that way, if you wanna tag along."

Terra held up his hands. "Hey, if it's gonna be a chore for you, I'm not forcing you."

"No, no. It's seriously fine. I'm just, not really comfortable talking to new people," Fareeha said, while directing her eyes at her feet. _Why the hell do I have to SUCK so bad at this?_ "Well, maybe we can change that," Terra said. He motioned in front of them. "Now let's walk. We'll never make it to the tours just sitting here ya know."

The two began walking together, but the air between them stayed silent for a bit. Fareeha didn't know how to start a conversation with Terra, nor did she really want to. She half hoped he would just be content with her agreeing to walk with him, but a few moments later, he was speaking to her again. "So, man you weren't kidding. I can almost FEEL the awkwardness coming off you. Why is that?"

Fareeha turned to look at him, with a look of annoyance. "That certainly is a personal question to ask someone you just met."

Terra shrugged. "I guess so. Can't say I'm the best at starting conversations with strangers either."

Fareeha raised an eyebrow. "Really? Big, burly, attractive guy like you? Find that hard to believe."

This got Terra to chuckle a bit. "Hey, looks don't mean anything towards my personality. In fact, I try to keep to myself more often than not."

"Could have fooled me," Fareeha said, adding some sass to her tone.

"Well I could say the same about you. You look pretty athletic. Definitely one of the cuter girls that I've seen. Yet you're really quiet."

Fareeha's face, which had just begun to lose the redness from her embarrassment moments before, started to flood with color again at Terra's comment. "For someone that is supposedly bad at conversation, you certainly know how to flatter a girl." _Is he crushing on me?_

Terra laughed again. "Hey, I'm just stating what I see. But don't worry if you think I'm hitting on you. I've got too much to worry about without having a girlfriend right now."

"Well, Terra, you've certainly piqued my curiosity. Whatcha got going on then?" _If only talking to new people went as well as this._ Usually Fareeha barely lasted more than a few seconds into a conversation before going quiet. So why did talking to Terra seem so different? And she had run into him under circumstances where she wouldn't even think of wanting to talk to, much less see the person again. Yet here she sat, becoming more and more comfortable with some guy who she had just met by LITERALLY running into him.

Terra's eyes sparkled. "Football, of course. That's why I came here. That and for my degree in Physical Education. But I need to focus on getting ready for football first."

Fareeha's heart skipped a beat. _That's EXACTLY what I'm here to major in. No way, this is too big of a coincidence that I met this guy._ "Really? That's my major too!"

Terra seemed to be a bit shocked. "Really? You're being dead serious right now?" She nodded. He scratched his chin. "Well, then I guess I'll be actually seeing you fairly often. Fine by me. You seem really chill to me. Even if you did run into me." Fareeha laughed.

They had reached the entrance by now, and Fareeha noticed the large crowd of people that were waiting for the next round of tours to begin. Herself and Terra parked themselves at the back of the crowd, before Terra continued their conversation. "So, I don't believe I properly introduced myself. Name's Terra Xehanort." He offered his hand in greeting.

Fareeha was happy to give her hand in greeting. "I'm really glad I got to meet you Terra."

He nodded. "And it's a pleasure to meet you, Pharah. I'm glad I'll have at least one classmate I can stand." She smiled at him, and nodded in agreement. Terra turned his attention towards the crowds, surveyed them, and sighed. "I don't know why I'm even here. I already got my fill of the place when I came here a few days ago for some early training camp. Coach suggested I do it"

 _Jeez does everything this guy do have to relate to me so MUCH?_ "Hey, me too." Fareeha mumbled. "My mom has already shown me around this campus before, numerous times, yet she insisted I go anyways." Terra glanced at her from the corner of his eye. "It seems like we relate to each other ALOT. That's almost creepy." _You're telling me._ Right before Fareeha could say something else to Terra, a call from the front of the large group of students, announcing that the tours were starting, explaining how they were going to split up the groups. They both shot a look at each other. "Well, let's get this over with," Fareeha grumbled.

* * * * *

_ McCree _

Finally the tour had ended. McCree couldn't have been more relieved. He had shed his flannel during the hour and a half tour, he had been sweating so bad, and was down to the plain white t-shirt he had underneath it. He had the flannel slung over his shoulder like a jacket, but the heat still beat down.

The tour itself wasn't really that special. And there were only a few buildings McCree had to memorize, where his classes would be taking place. It was a nice campus from what he had observed, plenty of small areas for students to chill and hang out in, and everything seemed to seamlessly connect, making travel between buildings probably alot less of a hassle.

Their tour guide had dumped the students off in the big commons area in the center of the campus, which was a huge expanse of lush green grass and trees, with pathways weaving through the middle that connected to the surrounding buildings. The various clubs and school activities had small little kiosks setup here today, and there were alot of them; ranging from choir club to drama, to the various sports teams that the school had. It was an impressive selection. Some students had taken residence in the shady areas underneath the trees, talking to their friends about the school their classes, and what clubs to try out.

McCree strolled down the main pathway, trying to find a club that interested him. He knew he wasn't going to be TERRIBLY busy at school, and wanted something that he could do in his spare time anyways. He ran over the options as he strolled by them. Choir club? Hell no, his singing sounded like a dying bird. Drama? No, he couldn't act worth anything. He kept walking down the long list of kiosks, and finally found himself pausing in front of a smallish black tent. It had logo for the school of two swords crossing a shield set atop of it, with a large purple and black sign. It read: **San Antonio Warriors Football: Open Tryout Signups**.

 _Football?_ McCree hadn't even thought about playing football for the school, even though he himself had been a Quarterback for his High School team. He considered it a fun passtime, but High School football was vastly different from College football, he knew that. After a few seconds of sitting in front of the tent, debating the option, he finally mumbled to himself, "Awwww what the heck. You only live once I suppose." He walked up to the table that the tent held.

Behind the table, there was an older woman sitting down, with an eyepatch over her right eye, braided white hair, and a warm smile, that she offered to him as he stepped up to the table. On the other side of her was a floating......robot? _What the hell, I must be seeing things._ He most certainly wasn't. This robot was indeed floating, propelled by nothing. He was smaller, and had metallic balls that were rotating around his neck. He offered a wave to McCree. Both of them had on shirts that said: **Strive for excellence, in all that you do. -Warriors Football**.

McCree glanced down at the papers, before looking up; first at the woman, then at the robot. "So, how exactly does this work?" he asked. The older woman sat forward in her chair, and pointed to the sheets of paper in front of him. "It's very simple, actually. Just put your full name, first and last, next to the position that you want to tryout for." The robot sitting to her side added, "And be sure to bring a valid physical test from this year. The first day of tryouts is tomorrow at 12PM. Try to be there 15 minutes early."

McCree nodded his head. "Alrighty then." He picked up one of the pens lying by the nearest piece of paper, and took a look. He knew that he wanted to tryout for Quarterback. The problem was, there were about 30ish names already under that position. _Shit, should have expected that._ He knew Quarterback was a popular position. You were essentially the leader of the the offense. You controlled what plays were run to an extent, so naturally, everyone wanted that power. Still, he hadn't expected to see 30 names on the list for it. He shrugged, and inked his name at the bottom of the list. He noticed the old woman nodding.

"Another Quarterback. Well, I do certainly look forward to what you have in store for us....." She looked down at the paper, and knit her eyebrows. "McCree? Jesse McCree?" He cleared his throat and nodded. "Yes ma'am." She leaned back in her chair, and motioned to herself and Zenyatta. "Well then hello McCree. I am Ana Amari, the Assistant Coach here for Warriors football. And this would be the head coach, Tekartha Zenyatta." The robot studied Jesse. "A pleasure, McCree. I am eager to see what you bring to the table, versus your competition."

As Zenyatta finished his sentence, a nasally voice shocked McCree from behind. "Hey cowboy, could you move? I'm trying to take a look at that sheet." He whirled around, only to find the purple haired girl that had been in his tour group not minutes before. Now that she was closer, he could make out more of her features. She was a short, tan girl, probably Hispanic, and had purple eyes that matched the color of her hair. There was a small mole to the side of her left eye. He could finally see the graphic on the front of her t-shirt, which was a pink-and-white skull that was surrounded by flowers. Her frame, as far as McCree could see, was very average, not too curvy, not too skinny. Like perfectly balanced.

The girl smirked at him. "Hey, cowboy. Head in the clouds, or are you gonna move for me?" McCree realized that he had been staring at her. He shook his head a few times, before stepping to the side, and letting her up to the table. She touched his nose with her finger as she went past him, never losing that goofy smirk. "Thanks cowboy." He recoiled instinctively. _Just who the hell was this girl?_

"Hey, why do you keep saying that?" he demanded.

"Saying what?" she asked innocently, as she bent down by the sign-up sheet to take a closer look.

"Calling me cowboy. Like it's some sort of big insult."

She flipped through a few pages of the tryout sheets. "Because of that cowboy hat you're wearing." She glanced at him as she picked up one of the pens. "Of course, you would only really be offended by it if it were true."

"Whaddya mean by that?" McCree furiously stepped up to her. "I'll have you know, I don't take too kindly to being insulted."

"So, you are one, is what I'm getting from that then?" The girl scribbled her name in on one of the sheets, and McCree glanced over her shoulder to see where she had written her name. She had penned in her name underneath the Cornerback slot. She was trying out? _But she's short to be a cornerback, and she's a girl. How is she gonna keep up with the guys?_ She turned to face him again. "Are you, cowboy?"

"Maybe I am, maybe I ain't," he spat. He was aware of the duo of coaches sitting behind the table, watching him and this girl's interaction. He couldn't tell if they were studying him, or just seeing how potential teammates would interact.

She jutted her chin at him. "Well, if you don't want to be called cowboy, what is your name then?"

"It's Jesse McCree to you. I'd just prefer you didn't call me cowboy."

She put a hand on her hip, and giggled. "Jesse? Isn't that a girl's name?"

"Again, maybe. Now are you gonna keep harassing me, or are you gonna give me your name?" The girl took a mocking bow. "Mi nombre es Olivia Colomar. At your service, cowboy."  _Huh, she speaks Spanish. Figures._

"Thought I told you to stop calling me that," McCree snapped. _  
_

She laughed. "Hey, I'm just messing around McCree. Lighten up a bit, will ya? Now I got somewhere to be." She breezed past him, but not before flicking the edge of his hat, and winking at him. "I suppose I'll see you at tryouts tomorrow cowboy. Try not to disappoint me, ok?"

McCree harrumphed. "Didn't know I was looking to impress YOU."

She flipped her hair and snickered as she walked away down the busy pathway. _Jeez, what game is she trying to play with me?_ He turned towards the coaches to see their reaction. Coach Amari was holding back a smile. Zenyatta was drumming his fingers on the table, looking at McCree. "Well, I don't know what to make of her. Or you, for that matter."

McCree just shook his head, trying to shake off the encounter with Olivia he had just had. "She's probably just playing around with me. In any case, tomorrow at noon? Where at?"

Ana pointed off behind her, to the south of where they were sitting. "The large grass expanse near the sports facility. It was pointed out to you during your tour, I'm sure."

"It was. Then I'll be there," McCree said. "See you then, I suppose." Both the coaches gave a friendly farewell, and McCree began heading down the pathway, towards the entrance to the campus. As he walked, he began thinking to himself, how in the world was he gonna put up with Olivia at tryouts? And what in the ever living hell did she seem to want from him? He looked down at his feet, then back up ahead of him. _Whatever the case may be, I ain't gonna let her ruin my chances of making this team._

* * * * *

_Fareeha_

Fareeha and Terra's tour had ended. Despite the fact that she had been to the campus numerous times, she was surprised that their orientation guide had managed to keep it fairly interesting; spouting facts about the buildings she had never known, and so on, so forth.

The group had finally arrived at the large commons area in the center of the campus, where Fareeha could see that most of the clubs or sports organizations for the school had set up some form of tent or kiosk for the incoming freshman to check out. There were TONS of clubs and sports programs at the school, and her mother's words about her potentially signing up for the football team echoed in Fareeha's ear as she looked on.

"Hey, I was gonna go talk to the coaches real quick. Wanna tag along?" Terra asked.

Fareeha thought for a second. She REALLY didn't wanna hang around her mother, especially with a guy around. But Terra had been really nice, and she didn't want to just leave and be bored out of her mind for the next couple hours, until her mother took her home. She shrugged. "Aight, sure."

They began making their way towards where the football tent was setup. It was near the end of the long line of tents & kiosks that lined both sides of the long pathway. Students packed both sides of the pathway, going one way or another, standing in front of the various clubs, and the sound of chatter filled the air.

As they walked, Fareeha was aware of Terra turning back to look at her. "So, you thinking of signing up for the football team?"

She turned to face him, and he raised his eyebrow. She pushed a part of her black hair behind her ear. "Ummmmm....been thinking about it. My mom has been pressuring me about it, but I'm still not fully sure. I don't even know what position to shoot for if I even did decide to join."

"I really think you should give it shot. You seem really athletic. What sports have you played before?"

Fareeha had been a decent soccer player growing up in the Middle East with her mother, but after they moved to America, she had branched out and tried basketball and softball as well. She had never played for her school, but rather for small rec league teams. That was where she had met her only couple friends, but now that she was in college, and they were going their separate ways, she didn't talk to them very much anymore.

"Well, I played alot of soccer as a striker, some basketball, some softball," she replied to Terra.

He scratched his head, seemingly pondering the information she had just given him. After a moment or two, he nodded his head and grinned, like he had come up with some grand scheme. "You might be good as a kicker then, to be real."

 _Kicker?_ She cocked her head to the side. "What, exactly, does the kicker do?" Her mother, while coaching the team for many years, had never really explained what went into her job, or about any of the sport itself.

Terra furrowed his brow. "Well, the kicker kicks the ball off to start games, and everytime your team scores. They kick extra points, worth one point, and they also kick field goals, worth three. Through the uprights that you'll see on the field, if you try out."

"Sounds like a pretty important job to put in the hands of someone who hasn't played the sport before," she said jokingly. _That actually doesn't sound so bad._

Terra smirked. "Oh c'mon, you'd be great! Kicking a soccer ball probably isn't too different from kicking a football."

"Probably?"

He shrugged. "Never played soccer, but it's still a ball that you kick. How different can it be?"

They both laughed. It was only a few more moments before they were in front of the football tent. There were a couple kids looking through the sheet on the table. Fareeha instantly recognized her mother behind the table, with her braided white hair and eyepatch. Beside her sat was what Fareeha assumed must have been the new head coach; a floating omnic that her mother had spoken very fondly of. Her mother recognized her immediately, and she smiled warmly. "Ah, my habiti. You DID decide to stop by."

Fareeha rolled her eyes. "Do you really have to try to embarrass me everywhere I go?"

Her mother placed a hand on her chest, mocking offense. "I meant nothing of it Fareeha. I'm simply saying hello to my daughter is all."

The two guys at the table finished with the sheet, and began walking away, waving to the coaches as they did so. They waved back, with the omnic yelling, "See you gentlemen tomorrow!"

Terra was still standing beside Fareeha, with a look of shock. He turned his head towards her. "No way. Coach Amari is your MOM?"

 _I absolutely forgot to tell him._ Shit. She sighed, and mumbled, "Yes, she is."

Her mother's smile grew wider at Terra's comment. "That's my wonderful daughter of course. I'm surprised she didn't talk about me sooner."

Terra shook his head, recovering from his initial shock. "Oh, she did talk about you. Just didn't mention your identity." He turned to look at Fareeha, then back to her mother, then back to Fareeha. "Although, looking now, you do look VERY similar. Surprised I didn't put two and two together."

Fareeha's mother shot a glance at her. "I am very interested to hear what my daughter had to say about me." She could feel her face growing red at her mother's comment. This was exactly the situation she was hoping to avoid.

Terra seemed to understand her predicament though, and spoke up in her defense. "Nothing bad. Just stuff about how you're a pretty cool Mom, and that you wanted her to join the team and whatnot."

Her mother raised her eyebrows. "Did she really?" She glanced at Fareeha.

Fareeha quickly looked up and nodded. She just wanted to be out of the situation as soon as possible. Her mother nodded at her, and leaned back in her chair. "Well, I'm glad you seemed to have made a new friend habiti. Terra is a very likable person."

He nodded and grinned that big smile of his. "Well thanks Coach Amari." He jerked his head towards Fareeha. "I was trying to talk Faree-, I mean, Pharah, into joining the team. She said she liked soccer, I was thinking maybe kicker would be good for her."

 _Shit shit shit shit._ Fareeha still felt fairly on the fence about it. Now with Terra sticking his neck out for her, and mentioning that she was interested, she felt like she had no choice but to oblige him. And her mother for that matter.

Her mother nodded in approval. "I really like that idea Terra. I'm sure she would like it." It was if they were talking like Fareeha wasn't there. Her mother grabbed the sheets, flipped through a few pages, and eventually placed it back down on the table, and looked back at her. "It's right here Fareeha. That is, if you would like to. Choice is yours in the end."

"I think you'd be great Pharah. You should go for it," Terra chimed in. Fareeha felt very pressured, like she was getting ganged up on by both of them. She took a look towards the omnic, who had stayed silent throughtout the entire interaction, but was slowly nodding in approval. It felt like she was moving through quicksand as she walked up to the table. There were no names underneath the kicker slot, if she ended up going for it, she would be the only one thusfar. As her mind ran amuck with thoughts, she could hear the metallic, yet soft voice of the omnic as he finally spoke.

"Remember Fareeha. Do not feel pressured. This is entirely your choice. I am most certain your mother will understand if you do not wish to sign up." The words of the omnic put her slightly at ease, but she could still feel the gaze of all three of her peers as she picked up the pen. _What do you have to lose girl? Take the chance. It could be fun._ She took a deep breath, and then inked her name underneath the kicker slot. As she put the pen down, she first glanced at the omnic, who slowly nodded, then towards her mother, whose grin was beginning to spread ear to ear. She got up from her seat, and walked around the table to give her daughter a warm embrace.

"You'll be great Fareeha. I know it. Thank you." She nodded, and stepped back away from the table, and looked at Terra for his reaction. He was grinning nearly as wide as her mother.

"Cool Pharah. Real cool. It'll be awesome to see how you do." She nodded, and managed to smile a little bit herself. It felt really nice even having just these few people in support. She was feeling confidence for the first time in awhile. It was only a small bit, but it was something nonetheless. She wasn't used to having any support outside her mother, and it made her feel at ease.

"TERRRAAAAAAAAAA!" A voice sounded from behind Fareeha. Both her and Terra turned around simultaneously. There was a boy with spiky blonde hair running towards them, barging past surprised looking students as he ran. He looked very similar to the boy Terra had been talking to before, same blue eyes, hairstyle, but his outfit was different. He wore a tannish-white jacket, with matching colored pants. He had a wristband on with a black-and-white checkerboard pattern adorning it.

Terra knit his eyebrows as the boy came to a screeching halt in front of them. "Ven? What are you doing here?" Then, Terra's eyes lit up and he smiled and shook his head. "My bad, Roxas. I always manage to get you and Ven confused."

The boy panted, and smiled back at Terra. "Man, I thought I wouldn't see you after High School. Didn't know you were going here as well!" Terra scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, I didn't wanna go to one of those bigger schools, so I went for something closer to home." Roxas nodded in understanding, before turning to Fareeha. "And you got a girlfriend?"

Fareeha could hear her mother laugh from behind her, and she felt her face getting warm, like it had so often that day. "I'm not-"

Thankfully, Terra cut her off, saving her the explanation. "Nah, she's not my girlfriend. She's a girl that's a friend, but that's it. We just met," he said, with a warm smile.

"Oh," Roxas said. His face was turning a little red as well. "My bad.....uh....."

"Fareeha. Call me Pharah," she said. She felt bad for Roxas, but at the same time wasn't surprised that he had made the assumption.

"Well, hey Pharah. I'm Roxas, a friend of Terra's. I'm really sorry I thought you two were, you know." He looked between her and Terra. She shook her head, "Nah, I don't blame you. Anyone else would have made the same mistake."

He nodded, before turning to Terra. "Yo, so Terra, what are you doing here? Like, major-wise."

"Physical Education. Something I always wanted to do. Thought you woulda figured that out smarty-pants," he replied with a smirk. "What are you doing here Rucksack?"

Roxas grinned right back. "My degree in Fine Arts beefcake. Didn't I tell YOU that already?" The two laughed. _These two must be pretty good buddies._ It made Fareeha wistful and longing for a relationship like that with someone. _I was never this buddy-buddy even with my closest friends._

"Anyways, I'm also here to sign up for the football team," Roxas said, pointing at the table behind the group, which held the sign-up sheet.

"You shooting for Quarterback?" Terra asked. "If so, good luck man. There's like 30ish other names on that list right now."

"What, you signed up for Linebacker?"

Terra held up his hands. "Dude, full ride scholarship for football. I'm basically already on the team. I'll still probably be there though."

"Figures that you would be," Roxas replied, as he walked past them and up to the table, said hello to the coaches, and took a look at the sheet.

Fareeha leaned in closer to Terra, and whispered, "He played?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Used to be the Quarterback for our final year at my old High School. He played really well. Smart guy, nice attitude. He was dealing with depression or something like that before then, so he didn't wanna play."

Fareeha was a bit shocked. Roxas was rather small in stature and size, didn't have much of any muscle at all. And he seemed like a happy enough guy. "Has he ever told you why?"

Terra shook his head. "Don't think he's told anyone. I've asked once, and the look he gave me? Never want to ask again, that's for sure."

This puzzled Fareeha, but she understood why someone would wanna keep their past under wraps. The other thing bugging her was why Roxas and Terra's other friend Ven looked nearly identical. Like, close enough for Terra, who was apparently close with both, was able to mistake them so easily.

Roxas finished putting his name down, before turning to face the duo again. "Man Terra, you weren't kidding. That's ALOT of people."

Terra laughed. "Told you so Rucksack. Hope you can stack up."

He nodded. "Well, suppose I'll see you tomorrow Terra?"

Terra nodded in return. "I'll be there. Mostly just observing the other players, but I'll be there."

"Well, see ya then Terra. You too Pharah!" Roxas cheerfully said, as he began walking back down the long pathway.

"Wait!" Fareeha yelled, just as he started to walk away. He turned towards her, and raised an eyebrow.

She just wanted to ask the question that had been bugging her, and she didn't know if she would see him tomorrow to be able to ask. "Why do you, and Terra's other friend, Ven, look so alike?" He looked at Terra, who smiled, then back at Fareeha.

"We'll just say, it's a really long story that we don't have time for right now."

Terra laughed hard. "Yeah, really long." Fareeha was now VERY confused, but before she could say anything else, Roxas had disappeared into a crowd of students.

Terra patted her shoulder. "Hey, I'm gonna go, but it was really nice to meet you Pharah."

She faced him, and smiled. "Yeah, me too. And again, sorry about earlier."

He shook his head. "I already told you, no need. I understand man. You were cool about it as well. Well, as cool as you can be when you're knocked on your butt."

"Funny. Haha. Really."

He laughed. "Yo, so I guess I'll see you tomorrow kicker. Oh, and before I forget, what's you number? Maybe we can talk later, I can give you some tips for football and whatnot."

She happily gave him her number, waved goodbye, and then went to her mother's side behind the table. She gave Fareeha one of her classic Mom looks. "I told you that you may make a friend today." She sat in the grass by her mother's side, and sighed. "You know, Mom, somehow I can't help but feel like you knew this was gonna happen from the start of today." A twinkle lit up her good eye. "I most certainly didn't, but, you two definitely look cute together."

"Ugh, MOM!" Her mother laughed as Fareeha groaned, knowing that she would probably have to deal with this for awhile to come.

* * * * *

_Zenyatta_

As the day faded into afternoon, and the sun began to set, Zen took a look at the sign-up sheet. It had been a very good day for sign-ups; he could only assume word had gotten around the campus pretty quick, because the sheet had over 300 names on it. Far more than he was expecting.

The other clubs and organizations were starting to pack up their things and leave, but Zen and Ana still sat there, with her daughter Fareeha, as they went through all the names again. "Again, I must say, I didn't think it was going to work this well," Ana mused, as she looked over the sheets again.

"I expected success, but you would be correct. It appears we will have our hands full tomorrow then." He looked towards Fareeha, still unsure how she felt about it. He still felt like she was partially forced to, and she really didn't want any part of it. "I must ask you Fareeha, are you sure? I can take your name off the list if you like."

She looked at him through wide, unblinking brown eyes. "No doubt Coach. It's about time I start breaking out of this shyness shell." He nodded. "That is good." He turned again towards Ana. "Ana, shall we get to packing up?"

"Of course." She got up, and began tearing down the tent. "Habiti, give me a hand sweetheart." As the two of them took the tent and signs down, Zen ran through all the encounters that he had during the day. Obviously Fareeha's had stood out, but there was also the one with McCree and Colomar. There was also the kid with brown, spiky hair, that only seemed to sign up because the person he was with, Riku, was signing up. Riku reminded him of Terra a bit, and they were going to be playing the same position, oddly enough. He remembered some girl that had asked near too many questions about the sport in general. Her name was Satya. She clearly had never played before, so it relieved Zen that she was at least trying to learn. Everything else seemed like a blur of faces, but it made him feel very good raising the sheets and seeing all the names.

Once Ana and Fareeha had torn down the equipment, they began walking back to the sports facility. The sun was setting, but it was still decently hot outside. Of course, Zen really didn't feel heat, but he could tell it was bothering the girls, as they were both already sweating. He saw Ana turn to her daughter. "Hey, Fareeha, you can go start up the car if you want, I'll only be a few minutes." Fareeha nodded, so her mother tossed her the keys, and she began walking in the direction of where the car was parked.

"Let me help you then," Zen said, as he took one of the tent bags from Ana. She nodded gratefully.

"So Zen, how do you plan on conducting the tryouts tomorrow?" she asked.

He had a few ideas, but he was going to need help from the staff. He wanted to set up indiviual groups of players, seperated by positions, then have them work on position specific things, and see which players the staff liked. He explained all this to her, but she still looked a bit puzzled when he finished. "Well, that's all fine and dandy. But what about the players that don't know the rules of the sport? We have plenty like that, including my own daughter." _Shoot, I didn't think of that._

It didn't take him long of thinking to come up with an answer, though. "Then we split the players in the position groups off between who knows the rules and doesn't, and have someone explain to those that don't how their position works and some rules behind it. We can explain rules of the game in general to those who actually make the team." Ana seemed satisfied with this response. 

"Then one more thing, how many players are we keeping?" Now this was a question that had already been troubling Zen. He certainly didn't expect 300 players to sign up, and he obviously couldn't keep upwards of that many, max roster dictated 53, but he didn't know if he even needed THAT many." He ended up shrugging. "I suppose we at least find one person we like for every position, and then anyone we really like after that we keep up until we reach 53 players, if we need that even." She nodded in agreement, and they continued to walk.

It wasn't long after that they reached the sports facility. They went inside, and dumped their tent stuff off, before exiting again. As they exited, Ana stopped Zen before he could hover off to his vehicle. "Hey, Zen. I just want to thank you again for choosing to be here. This is the best I've felt about this team in a long time."

He matched her gaze, staring deep into her good hazel eye. "I told you, this is what I do. I'm here to help all of you. And I will see that mission done, if nothing else. Football is more than a game; there's family attached to it, nearly always." The old woman shut her eyes, and turned her head away.

"I know, I know. And I would give anything to make this team feel like that again." He patted her shoulder, trying to reassure her. From the week he had spent here, Ana was mostly happy, but had a few episodes like this, where she seemed to question everything she had worked for. He knew he still had the expectation set to live up to. He didn't like it, nor did he meet it by any means yet, but he was still determined to.

"We will, ok? Now go home and maybe teach Fareeha a thing or two about the sport. It may help that she has some knowledge going into tomorrow." She looked at him, and smiled. "Of course. We have a big day tomorrow don't we." He nodded, and waved goodbye to her as she walked away. He continued to float down the sidewalk, towards his vehicle on the other side of the facility. He looked up towards the sky. _Iris, whatever God is up there, I so desperately need your help to pull this through._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More dialogue intensive stuff, sorry! REALLY trying to set up these characters for later, and I feel like it's vital to give them strong interactions now to make later interactions worthwhile. Also sorry it took awhile for this, I wanted to make sure I nailed all the dialogue to my standards. Alot of redoes of sentences and some elimination of words altogether. Either way, hope you enjoy!


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